Eliza Rubin

Eliza Rubin is a 17 year old living in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Daughter of New York Times Bestselling Author Gretchen Rubin, Eliza is best known as an unashamed voice for teenagers on her weekly podcast 'Eliza Starting at 16'.

Giving regular updates on her life to listeners, Rubin is a self-proclaimed "oversharer", sparing no details on boyfriends, high school parties and the college application process.

Eliza's objective is to give adults and teens alike a glimpse into what it's like to be a teenager in New York. She answers questions from parents wanting to better understand their kids, as well as questions from other teens seeking advice.

I got a chance to chat with Eliza about her podcast, college, and New York teen slang.

Following in her mom's footsteps, Eliza's podcast comes in the wake of the viral success of her mother and aunt's podcast, 'Happier' on the Panoply Network. Though Eliza would love to attend an Ivy League school, she feels no pressure to go to her parents' Alma mater Yale University.

Eliza's set up consists of her laptop and a USB microphone. She's been known to record anywhere from her bedroom, to her grandmother's closet to Central Park.

Breaking her podcast into segments, her weekly rambles (though seemingly haphazard) follow a format that consists of something she's stressed about, something she's done with, something she's obsessed with, and an "oversharing" segment in which she divulges personal anecdotes to her listening audience.

Unwavering in her quirky attitude and strong opinions, listening to Eliza Starting at 16 is like chatting with a friend.

Talking to Eliza was a breath of fresh air. She is young, smart, and educated about modern social issues. She's not afraid to broadcast her views on politics, social media, and body image.

What the internet needs are more young girls destigmatizing teenage problems and building a safe space and support system to help eachother.